Heart Mending
by lilwhodat
Summary: After Kate shoots an innocent man, Tony takes it upon himself to comfort his partner. Hoping to mend her damaged heart. Set after S2E8 Heart Broken. TATE one-shot. SPOILERS for EPISODE. First NCIS story so be gentle! TATE FOREVER!


"Do you know where Kate is?" Ducky asked, looking at Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, more commonly known as Tony.

"No," he said, his mind shifting from the unresponsive Agent Cassidy to his partner.

Thinking about it hard enough, Tony had an idea of where his partner and friend was. Silently leaving the bullpen, the agent made his way to the elevator, pressing the down arrow.

The metal doors swung open, revealing the light corridor outside the medical examining room. Standing on the opposite side of the glass wall, Tony could easily see his partner, Kate, standing beside the body of Ensign Evan Hayes. Her dark hair was pull back into a short ponytail and her bangs hung in front of her face. She stood leaning against the wall where other bodies were healed.

She didn't notice him or chose to ignore his presence as the automatic doors opened and he entered the room. She continued to look deeply into the pale face of the young sailor who she had shot. Tony knew the story; Gibbs had told Ducky who had told Abby who had told him. The man was suicidal and was holding a gun to his temple when Gibbs and Kate had arrived at the pool. He was commanded by Gibbs to lower his weapon and he refused. Gibbs, trying to pacify the suicidal young man, holstered his weapon after the sailor had promised not to hurt Kate, after discovering Gibbs' partner was a woman.

"Hey," Tony said quietly, finally speaking.

"What do you want, Tony?" Kate asked, her voice strained as her face showed how exhausted she truly was.

"Abbs told me what happened. It's not your fault." He said, looking at his usual happy partner.

He could see she was clearly holding back tears, her face contorted in pain. He didn't understand why, though. Gibbs was alive, she was alive; that's what mattered. Tony didn't even have to think twice if someone threatened to shot his partner. But Tony had been on the job longer then she, had served as a cop before coming to NCIS, had to fire his weapon many times before, sometimes ending a person's life.

"He was an innocent man who needed help." Kate said, choking on her words as she tried to stifle her cry.

Tony was by her side in an instant, wrapping her up in his arms. She fell easily into him, resting her head on his shoulder finally letting her tears fall. Tony held her close, felling his shirt dampen at her tears. He knew what it was like to kill someone. His first kill had been messy, his life on the line. The only difference was the person he killed was guilty and was willing to take multiple lives with him.

"Hey, hey it's okay." He soothed into her ear, petting her hair and rubbing her back comforting, like his mother used to do when he was upset. "You made the right call."

"Did I?" She sobbed, her face still buried in his chest muffling her words. "He didn't deserve to die."

"Neither did Gibbs, or you." Tony said firmly, tightening his grip on her at the thought of losing her.

Although both agents had felt the growing tension, neither had acted on it. Tony knew he pushed her before, teasing her about her lack of sleep and how she was reached on her cell instead of her home. He also realized he had been too busy chasing Agent Cassidy instead of focusing on his partner and her pain after she and Gibbs had returned from the pool. He was so engrossed in making sure Paula's feelings were okay after Gibbs' verbal abuse, he hadn't thought about the emotional impact killing a man would have on his partner.

"He was innocent." Kate sobbed quietly, her weight becoming heavier as she continued to lean on DiNozzo for support.

Minutes passed before Tony realized she had completely stopped crying, instead she just stood, leaned into him. He had continued to hold her, rubbing circles on her back and speaking nothings into her hair.

"You know, Ducky has two tickets to the opera tonight," Tony said, trying to encourage his partner to lift her head.

"So?" Kate asked, her head still very much buried in her partner's chest, whether out of embarrassment or because she was still upset, she hadn't decided which.

"He wants someone to go with." Tony continued, "it's hard to take out a woman who's being charged with malpractice and is going to go to prison for covering up a death."

"The opera sounds nice," Kate said, finally lifting her head off of Tony's chest.

Her eyes were puffy and her nose was nasally, but she looked much better than before. There was redness to her eyes, but that would fade. She had no physical injuries and she was alive. That's what Tony found the most important. She was alive and no one on the team was hurt. At least not today.

"Well you better get going before Ducky leaves without you," Tony said, giving her a smile, hoping he wasn't pushing it.

Kate smiled back, making Tony's smile even more genuine, "thank you, Tony." She said quietly, suddenly looking embarrassed.

"What are partners for?" Tony replied, suddenly realizing how close in proximity they were.

He could smell her perfume; vanilla, lavender, and something uniquely Kate. He could see the green in her eyes, despite them mostly looking hazel from far away. He could see every blemish and freckle on her face that she tried to hide.

The two made their way to the elevator, Tony pressing the button. They waited in silence, neither sure what to say. Entering the elevator, Kate pushed the button for the bullpen, leaning against the metal walls.

"Have you ever shot someone?" She asked, not looking at Tony.

"More times then I'd like to admit, but I don't regret them." Tony replied, looking over at his shorter partner. "Not for a minute." He added, earning an odd look from Kate.

"Were any of them innocent?"

"No," he admitted, knowing he couldn't relate to her pain on that level. "But they did threaten my life and the life of my team, so I don't lose any sleep over it."

The elevator doors opened, revealing the bullpen and the rest of the team conversing around Gibbs' desk, McGee already checking out to go to his date.

"Hey Duck, Kate says she'll go to the opera with yah," Tony called over to the medical examiner, who smiled warmly at the couple.

"I'm feeling a little tired from today's events. Why don't you take her, Anthony? My treat." Dr. Mallard said, handing the two tickets to Tony and giving him a wink.

"Are you sure?" Kate interjected, looking at the older doctor. "They are your tickets."

"Do not worry about it my dear." Ducky said gently, giving her a knowing look and a soft smile. "I am also probably not as entertaining as Tony either. I'd just bore you with stories."

Laughing, the couple bids the doctor goodnight, watching as he exits in the elevator they just stepped out of.

"You two better get going before the show starts." Gibbs says, making the two agents jump at their boss's presence.

"You're not going to make us do paperwork tonight?" Tony asks as Kate moves to her desk, gathering her purse and things.

"Nah, nothing that can't wait till tomorrow," Gibbs replied, oddly amicable.

Tony doesn't question it, quickly going to his desk to grab his things. The two agents make their way to the elevator, waving goodnight to Gibbs as the enter.

The opera is bustling when the two NCIS agents arrive. Kate feels oddly underdressed, though Tony assures her she looked fine. Dressed in a simple black dress and letting her hair down, the former secret service agent was suddenly glad she had picked up her dry cleaning before work. The dress was simple and casual, but looked more appropriate then her turtleneck and work pants. Tony had simple removed his holster and wore the clothes he had been wearing earlier, his hair was slightly ruffled and there was a fading tear stains on his shirt, but overall he looked acceptable for the event. The couple hand their tickets to the ticket checker, who directed them to their seats. Once seated, they made themselves comfortable.

"Ducky really splurged for these seats," Kate noted. They were center aisle with an excellent view of the stage.

"Well he was trying to impress." Tony replied simply, looking around the filling theatre.

"You've never been to an opera before, have you?" Kate asked, looking through the program.

"Opera isn't my kind of music." Tony admitted, looking sheepishly at his partner, who merely chuckles at his expression.

"I see you more as a rock n roll fan," Kate guessed, looking her partner up and down.

"Not far off. I enjoy the classics, but I'm also a big fan of alternative and indie." He admitted, making Kate laugh.

"You never cease to surprise me, DiNozzo." She chuckled, continuing to flip through the program.

The opera soon begins, the light dims, and people's chatter subsides into quietness. By the time intermission comes, Kate has forgotten all about shooting an innocent man, engrossed in the performance. Tony, however, is bored out of his mind, not understanding why people attend such boring events, but he doesn't complain. He watches Kate the whole time, noticing her reactions and her mood, making sure she's feeling better. His phone vibrated in his pocket at intermission. Checking the ID, expecting Gibbs, he's surprised when he sees _Cassidy_ on the screen.

"Who is it?" Kate asks, noticing her partner checking out his phone.

"Just Ducky, making sure we're having a good time," Tony easily lied, ignoring the phone call and putting the device back in his pocket.

Kate doesn't seem to buy the lie, but she doesn't question him either. The show resumes and Kate's attention gets refocused to the performance, while Tony counts down the minutes and begins to people watch, as well as steal glances at his partner.

To his pleasant surprise, he finds Kate catch his glance, sending him a questioning look. He mouths 'nothing' and just shrugs it off. He again, looks over at his beautiful partner, and she again catches him, looking even more concerned.

"Do I have something on my face?" She whispers, leaning closer to him.

"No," he quickly replies, earning a few shushes from fellow audience members. "You look pretty."

She doesn't reply to the compliment, but he can see the pleased smile spread across her face. It's similar to the smile she had earlier when Harrison called, only this one made her hazel eyes twinkle, even in the dim light.

When the show ended, everyone applauded, including Agent DiNozzo, despite not being a big fan of opera.

"You survived," Kate jokes as they wait for the crowd to start filling-out.

"It wasn't too bad," Tony admitted, shrugging off his partner's subtle jab. "The company made it worth it."

She blushes at the comment, but doesn't reply. The two had driven together in Tony's car and as they waited for the valet to bring his car around, Kate realized she hadn't checked her cell phone since work. To her lack of disappointment, Harrison hadn't tried to call her. Her sadness was squashed when Tony said, "he doesn't know what he's missing out."

"Stop it," Kate said mock-sternly, looking at her partner with her best glare, though he could see the smile forming.

"It's true." He said seriously, not sure why he was being so honest with her.

"Well, Agent Cassidy doesn't know what she's saying 'no' to either," Kate said.

"Why would I worry about Agent Cassidy?" Tony asked, trying to sound casual.

"I saw she called you during intermission," Kate explained. The valet arrived with Tony's car, who opened the door for his partner. "You ignored her phone call."

"I was doing something more important." Tony said simply, sliding into the driver's side after closing Kate's door.

"Which was attending an opera you were miserable through," Kate said knowingly.

"But you weren't." Tony quickly retorted, arching an eyebrow challengingly.

"Why would you ignore her though? You've been chasing her since Gitmo." She said in disbelief.

"Because making sure my partner is okay is more important." He said seriously, looking straight into her eyes.

Kate doesn't respond, instead simply looking into Tony's eyes, lost in the depths and emotions behind them. There's a lot of unsaid words between them, a lot of chances not taken, a lot of moments missed. Both agents are stubborn, pig-headed, and not willing to admit when they're wrong or lost. And both agents lost, their hearts to one another without even realizing it.

"I can drive you home, or you can stay at my place." Tony said, turning out of the opera parking lot toward the interstate.

"My car is at work." Kate said.

"I'll drive you." Tony assured her, waiting for her response.

"Your place," Kate said, not hesitating. "It's closer."

Tony doesn't respond, merely drives the familiar roads to return to his apartment. When they arrive he parks in his designated place and shuts off the car. Quickly rushing out, he opens Kate's door and gives her hand, leading her up the stairs toward his modest bachelor pad.

"Welcome to my humble abode." Tony said, allowing Kate to enter first.

Tony's apartment is small and messy, but overall nice and clean. There's no dirty underwear lying around or unwashed dishes in the sink. The newspaper and mail aren't pilled everywhere and Kate can smell a lingering scent from breakfast.

"It's surprisingly sanitary in here," Kate said, her surprise and impress clear in her tone.

"I don't have any women's clothes, but you can sleep in this," Tony said, going straight for his bedroom closet and bring back an old t-shirt and gym shorts.

"Thanks," Kate accepted the clothing, suddenly aware of her choice.

"Don't worry, I'll take the couch." Tony said, going to his bathroom giving Kate privacy to change.

Tony's clothes are large on her, the shirt reaching to her mid-thighs and the shorts just falling down every second so she opts not to wear them entirely. When Tony emerges he's wearing his boxers and nothing else, his hair is mused and she can smell the recently brushed smell of his toothpaste.

"The shorts didn't fit." She explained when she noticed Tony staring at her legs, which she did shave the day before.

He doesn't say anything, just lets her take her turn in the bathroom while he gathers the necessary blankets and pillows to sleep on his couch. It's not the most comfortable place to sleep, but it's better than nothing. And despite common belief, Tony is a gentleman when he wants to be.

He hears Kate emerge from the bathroom. She says a 'goodnight' to which he replies to, as she goes into his room to sleep in his bed, under his sheets. He doesn't think about the massive hard-on he has just thinking about the beautiful agent in his room, instead he flips on the television, hoping some random movie will lull him to sleep.

It's close to 3 AM when he hears a muffled cry. Instinctively he reaches for his gun, tucked securely in his holster beside the couch. After listening a while longer he realizes it isn't an intruder who woke him up, rather the cries and sobs of someone in his room. Quickly rushing into his bedroom, Tony flips on the side-lamp and rushes to Kate's side.

"Kate," Tony calls, trying to wake the sleeping agent, clearly in the throes of a nightmare. "Katie wake up."

Kate Todd remains asleep, plagued by the terrifying image of the dead Hayes and the obvious bullet wound seeping blood from his chest.

"Katie, come on, wake up." Tony continues to comfort her, trying to wake her. "It's okay. Everything's okay."

Kate wakes to a fright and the sudden face of her partner Anthony DiNozzo inches from hers. She has tears streaming down her cheeks and she can feel the subsiding adrenaline and panic seeping out of her body. Tony doesn't say anything, just pulls her close and cradles her as she cries, remembering the terrified look of Evans moments before she shot him.

"It's okay, Katie. It's not your fault. You did the right thing." Tony assured her.

He laid down, bringing the smaller agent with him. The two lay wrapped in each other's arms, the sheets tangled amongst their limbs as Tony continued to comfort his distraught partner until she fell back asleep, exhaustion overcoming her.

"You did the right thing," Tony assured a drifting to sleep Kate, who only whimpered in response. "You did the right thing."


End file.
